The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-03-10

coming aIOhS soon altcT, met Joey
stealing down the steps, looking scared
and guilty.
Now the gun is fired. The bell rings.
The hurry and confusion are increased
tenfold. Hasty farewells are said;
hasty kisses exchanged; handkerchiefs
are brought into vigorous use. The
throng of friends who have come only
to say goodbye" begin to pour over
the plank to the wharf. The captain
stands on the paddle-box. He stoops
and pulls a handle; down in the depths
of the monster tinkles a bell; in a Sec
ond more the paddles dash the water
into foam. The captain stoops and
pulls the handle again; the paddles
stop, but the ship has started enough
10 allow the cable to cast off: They
are all cast off but the stern cable
that still holds, and the head of the
great black monster swings slowly out
into the current. Another pull at the
handle, another splash of the paddles,
and tho stern cable is cast of. The
gun sounds; she is loose! A cheer
from the crowd on the wharf, o cheer
from the crowd on deck, and the ship
was fairly turned down the stream and
begun the voyage.
In an hour she was at the mouth of
the Willamette, and struck the strong,
full current of the Columbia. Having
more sea-room now, she begins to use
her strength The flames roar through
the Hues; the engineer turns oil a full
head of steam; the clear, sweet water of
the river, cut clean and heat by the PROV,
is dashed into snowy foam by the pad
dies, and sinks and rises in a swelling
wake for half a mile to the stern. Fish
ing boats and Indian canoes glide past
her like shuttles, and before you can
fairly turn to look, are tossing and
rocking ON the swell many rods be-
hind.
A black hull, supporting a cloud of
dingy-white canvass, is seen ahead. It
is the Hudson Bay Company's store
ship, bound for Vancouver. A flash, a
cloud of white smoke, a heavy thud,
and she has saluted the OroFino. A
jar and a thunder-clap that startles the
old ones, and sets the ladies to scream
ing, and the Orc Elmo has saluted her.
Three cheers from the stranger as the
British flag runs up to the masthead,
and three cheers as the stars and stripes
curl and snap in the stiff breeze from
our gaff. Now that she has passed,
and tho sun falls full on her canvas,
she seems like a great bank of snow
floating up the river.
Nearly every body is tired of watch
ing her, and many have gone into the
cabins to avoid the wind which is grow
ing chilly, and others are composing
themselves in twos and threes about
the deck, when a new and more thrill
ing episode calls them all to their feet
again. Durham and two men come
tearing up the stair case to the quarter
deck. The bell tinkles, and the pad
dies stop.
"Man overboardr' is the cry. Every
n rushes in the stern; every one scans
the boiling current. "There, I sec
him!'cries one. ..He's treading water!"
cries another. Every body can see him
now; but by this time the tremendous
momentum of the vessel has left him a
little speck a quarter of a mile behind.
1t takes an age to lower the boat.
Finally it is off-Dunham in the stern,
and the sturdy sailors bending the ash
dangerously. "Can he hold out?"
"Oh, yes; can't you see him? He's
treading water" mo, he's floating"
anyhow, he keeps up bravely."
"How slow the boat goes!" "Why
don't they pulp" In fact, the boat
was cutting the water like a frightened
fish. Men on the ship involuntarily
bent and strained, as though they could
help in that way. The boat nears the
floating object. now only a speck in the
distance. A joyful murmur goes up
from the ship. "He's savedr' "Oh
those strong men!" But Durham
shcers the boat around, and picks up
only a hat and holds it high in the air.
The owner had long since sunk. By
the time the tired crew were taken on
board and the vessel under Roadway, it
vas dark. They made Astoria by mid
night, and lay to alongside the wharf.
The wind freshened during the night,
and by morning a heavy gale, filled
with salt spray, was driving in directly
from the sea. The pilot reported that
it would be impossible to cross the bal
in such blow. Sothey waited. Dun.
hams presentment of bad luck had
been strengthened by the loss of the
man from the ship, and he was more
nervous and gloomy than when he left
home. So he took his boy and went
ashore He went to the house of a
friend and left Joey there, with orders
to return toPortland by the first steamer
that should go up. He also wrote a
letter to his wife-a little longer than
usual, almost two pages, and a little
more affectionate than usual. He eN.
cused himself for writing by telling hel
that the bar was so bad they couldn't
cross, and it was a little too dull to stay
there doing nothing.
By ten o'clock the squat had abated,
and by noon the pilot said he thought
he could get over the bar by taking the
north channel. While the firemen were
getting up steam, unham ran over to
his friends house-it was only a few
steps-and babe joey goodbye, and
told him to be a good boy and
mind his mother, and gave him sundry
other items of good advice which I fea1
the young scapegrace did not attend to
closely. being engaged in the very
amusing game of see-saw with the lit.
tie girl of the house.
BY three o'clock the ship was fairly
under way again. By five. she was
safely over the bar, and had put her
pilot aboard a steamer which was wait.
ing on the outside to enter. The Cap
tain, having been up ali the previous
night, went to his cabin and turned in
for the night The passengers were all
either sea-sick or chilled by the cold
wind, and had gone to their rooms and